No Regrets
by sallythedestroyerofworlds23
Summary: She left everything...Why? Was it worth it? Rukia reflects on the decision that changed her life.


Rukia Kuchiki glanced at the glowing green numbers on the microwave clock.

4:06PM, it read.

She hurriedly dried off her hands with the used-up towel laying on the white kitchen counter. She smoothed her dress over, it was light blue and reached just to her knees, and she gave her kitchen one last inspection; the counter was clean, and so was the stove. The dishes had all been washed and dried properly by hand, they sat gleaming on their perspective racks. The pots and pans were all put away in their proper places. The light wood cabinets were all filled with freshly stocked ingredients that were necessary in every kitchen. Everything was perfect.

Rukia walked out of the kitchen, satisfied with all its gleaming glory -despite its actual lack of prepared dinner- and went straight to her bedroom to collapse in bed. Being a stay-at-home wife was a lot harder than Rukia would have ever expected. When she gave up her life as a Shinigami, she had known what it would mean, but still, she hadn't been prepared for _this_.

Not only was house-cleaning arduous work, it was also very boring.

She missed the days when all the cleaning had been done by personal maids and servants, despite all her protests about the lack of necessity of their services. But not as much as she missed being a Shinigami. Back when her main responsibility had been to fight and slay hollows, now those were the days! She loved being a Shinigami. She loved that rush of using her zanpakuto and slashing through a hollow. Oh yes-she missed those days.

Sometimes she wondered why she'd given it all up for this dormant, human life. This life where the most dangerous thing that could happen was accidentally slicing her thumb when cutting vegetables. Where a difficult mission was unclogging a toilet. Where an emergency meant the cable was out.

She let out a long sigh, reminiscing the old, glory days.

Then was abruptly brought out of her reverie by the unmistakable sound of the keys turning in the front door lock- her ears were highly trained by this time. She wasted no time jumping out of bed and hurrying to the living room, were she expected the new arrivals. She stood a few feet away from the front door, ready for the incoming in-

_Five, four, three, two-_

"MOM!"

_Wham!_

Two voices came through the door fast as a tornado, tackling the petite woman to the floor before she had time to get a good look at their faces.

"I'm glad to see you too," she laughed, playfully ruffling up her sons' hair. She looked up to see them wearing identical grins, their eyes wide and happy as they greeted her with breath-taking hugs-despite their small size-.

"Alright you two," spoke up a new voice, one Rukia could recognize from three miles over. "Get off your mother before you hug her lungs out."

Ichigo came up behind the kids, sporting his usual scowl, but beneath it was a playful air that now frown could hide. He reached down and effortlessly pulled away each boy from Rukia's body.

"Thanks for that." she said, sitting up now, smirking at her husband.

"Yeah no problem. I figured your midget body probably couldn't withstand the weight of these babies without snapping in two." He grinned, patting the twins' heads for emphasis. The kids snickered at their father's comment, while Rukia glared at him. She got up and rewarded him with a quick punch to the arm.

"OW!" he rubbed the spot.

Rukia looked at her two sons, preschoolers, almost identical twins except for their hair and eyes -Taiyo had raven hair and warm brown eyes, while Kaien inherited his father's startling orange hair, and had deep violet eyes-.

"Mommy hit daddy!" Kaien said joyfully, pointing an accusing finger at Rukia.

"You said there was no hitting allowed." reprimanded Taiyo.

Kaien's mouth fell open and his eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. Then he grinned. "That means-"

"No hitting allowed!" Rukia said before her mischievous son could take advantage of the situation.

"But-"

"No buts. Daddy got what he deserved." she concluded, crossing her arms in finality.

Ichigo, having recovered from her punch, scowled deeply. "That's not fair." he mumbled quietly, like a child. Rukia rolled her eyes. Sometimes it felt like she had three kids instead of two.

"What was that?" she asked, looking as Ichigo stood next to Kaien and Taiyo in a sideways line, all three of them looking down at the carpeted floor with identical expressions meekness, making the already-evident-resemblance even more plain to see.

"Nothing." they answered in unison.

"Good." Rukia nodded and smiled. She was about to send them to their room when she heard the sound of a zipper opening. It was coming from Taiyo's backpack, Rukia turned suspiciously and…

"NEE-SAN!"

She stopped the stuffed lion's advance mid-air with the sole of her foot, landing it on the ground.

"So that's why its been so quiet around here today…" she said reflexively. "Taiyo, what have I told you about taking Kon to school?"

"…Uh," he looked sheepish as he touched the tips of his fingers together awkwardly. "…To always remember to take out his soul candy pill when there are pretty girls around!"

"Yes," she said. "That, and, no taking him out of the house!"

"Aaww." his face fell.

"But Mom," Kaien butted in, as was his custom. "We wanted to show him to Saito-sensei, cuz he always freaks out at the sight of cats and if he saw Kon-"

"Oh, so this was _your_ idea, Kaien? Why am I not surprised…" Kaien laughed nervously at his Mother's comment. "Like I said, _no_ taking Kon out of the house."

"Dad-" they quickly turned to appeal to Ichigo.

"Listen to your Mom, kids. That piece of junk is more trouble than he's worth." Ichigo said, settling the matter as he slid his arm around Rukia's shoulders.

"Alright, boys. Go clean up your room before dinner." Rukia told them.

"But Moooom!" they whined.

"No whining. Go!" she said pointing to their room in a playfully dictator manner.

"Yeah, what she said." Ichigo mumbled.

Rukia maintained her parental stern look until she saw Kaien and Taiyo's figures disappear grudgingly into their room.

"Che, I thought they'd never leave." Ichigo suddenly said, giving Rukia a look she recognized.

She quirked an eyebrow at him and slid out from his arm. "What are you talking about, Ichigo? Don't you have cooking to do?" Despite her housewife settlement, no force in Earth or Soul Society had been able to get Rukia to cook -edible food, that is-. So Ichigo cooked, and she cleaned, while Kaien and Taiyo set the dinner table. That was the arrangement.

"We'll have take-out tonight." Ichigo said, walking towards Rukia as she paced slowly backwards.

"Ichigo, the kids are-"

"Too busy with each other to hear anything."

"I have some laundry to do-" Rukia said weakly, defeat already looming in her voice as she was backed into the sofa. Her violet eyes were locked on Ichigo's smirking lips.

"These underpants still have a good three days of use in them." he said as his own eyes drifted to her delicate lips. He cornered her into the sofa, making her sit down on it while he settled one knee beside her legs and used his arms to create a make-shift cage around his wife's body.

"You're so gross."

Rukia wound up lying on the sofa, her head against the arm of it, her body trapped between Ichigo's arms. He held his body just barely above hers, and his brown eyes gazed fiercely into hers, a fire burning in their depths that made her hungry for him. His animalistic grin made it clear he wasn't taking no for an answer.

"ICHIGO GET OFF NEE-SAN RIGHT NOW! CAN'T YOU SEE SHE DOESN'T WANT YOU- MMMMMMFFFLL!" Kon choked on his words as Ichigo caught him from his jump mid-air with a skill only years of practice could perfect.

"Sorry Kon, it's your time to play with the kids." Ichigo said, then threw the lion plush so hard towards the kids' bedroom, when it crashed against a wall the little green pill that held its soul jumped out of its mouth. "While the grown-ups get some work done." Ichigo finished, focusing back on Rukia.

"You're insane." she stated.

"Oh yeah?" he lowered his body, now his face was so close to hears she could feel his warm breath tickling him, his musky scent intoxicating, bringing down what little defense she had left.

"Mmhm." was all she could manage by now.

Ichigo scooted backwards, angling his face to her neck. He brushed his lips against the bare skin there, their touch sending tremors along her body as he spoke- "Maybe I am a little crazy."

He peeked up at her, his brown eyes laughing. "I hope you don't mind then." he said, just before he moved forward again so his face was above hers, and in an instant he crushed his lips against hers. He settled his body on top of hers, careful to hold himself up just enough so he wouldn't crush her underneath.

Rukia, finally surrendering, slid her arms behind his neck, crushing him against her with a neediness she hardly knew she could feel. His body trembled as he laughed into their kiss, enjoying her defeat. He deepened their kiss, allowing her to taste him. She did so desperately.

Rukia spent most of the day alone in the house.

"Did you miss me that much?" Ichigo teased, nibbling on her lower lip. Rukia drew her hands up into his orange hair, grabbing it and softly pulling it as she let her tongue slide forward into Ichigo's demanding mouth.

While her husband was at work, and the kids at school, Rukia cleaned the house and did the laundry and made sure they had all the groceries they needed.

"So what if I did?" she demanded, feeling as Ichigo wound his arms around her, letting one hand caress the curve of her waist. He was placed on top of her so that she could feel the need for her in his pants, rubbing against her as he began to slowly grind.

She did nothing exciting during the day.

"Well, I missed you too." he confessed, moving down to nibble her earlobe, pleased to hear Rukia give a low moan. His right hand moved under her dress and caressed her thigh. Rukia moved her hands down and began tugging up his shirt. He wasted no time and gave into her commands, quickly discarding the piece of clothing and throwing it to the floor.

Her life here on Earth was spent in a great deal of boredom.

Rukia couldn't take it anymore. Her need was incredible. She pulled her dress over her head and threw it on the floor along with Ichigo's shirt, soon to be joined by his pants, and one by one each of their pieces of underwear, until there was nothing left. _"Idiot." _she managed to hiss before he claimed her lips again, his rough hands massaging the length of her bare skin, his muscles rippling.

But it was moments like these, seeing her husband and her kids coming home,

"_Rukia,_" he called her name softly, half-moaning as he trailed kisses from her jaw, down her neck and to her chest, all the way down to her stomach. Words couldn't express how she felt about this man. This man whom she'd given up everything for. This man who changed her world.

These moments when she and her husband were together…

"Ichigo, I-" she trailed off as she let out a loud moan when Ichigo began to tickle her most sensitive areas. Her pleasure and love all mixed inside her in one great wave of desire, and she dug her fingernails into his skin as he finally pushed himself inside her.

These were the moments that made it all worth while.

She bit her lip hard to keep herself from screaming with pleasure. She had to remember the kids were still near. Her eyes met Ichigo's, they were full of lust and a love so great and special, she could only comprehend it because she felt it herself.

These were the moments where she remembered why she'd given it all up.

They didn't say 'I love you'. It seemed unfair to what they really felt, which was something so great, that three little words could never amount to it. "_**Ichigo,**_"

"_**Rukia**_,"

It was all because of him.

He reached up with one hand to gently brush a strand of raven hair away from her sweaty face. He then tenderly kissed her forehead. "Do you ever regret it?" he asked quietly, pulling away slightly so he could look in her eyes. She knew immediately what he meant-did she have any regrets for leaving everything for him?-. Rukia smiled and softly shook her head. "Not once." she answered sincerely. His smile returned, not the cocky grin he'd worn before, but something softer, peacefully happy. A smile like the one he'd given her all those years ago, the time he'd saved her from execution. The smile he'd given her the day she'd chosen to stay. The smile he'd worn on their wedding day. _**Her **_smile. Rukia felt like she was glowing. She pulled herself up and pressed her lips against his.

And it was all worth it.

XxXxxXxXxXxx

**A/N: So, I wrote a fic of a possible ichiruki ending, which had Ichigo stay in Soul Society, so now I have the other way around-Rukia staying in the Real World with him. Its my first attempt at a scene of -ehem- mature content, so please don't be to harsh on it. So, anyways, leave your reviews and tell me what you think! **


End file.
